The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, having a seat frame, a seat shell which is fitted to the seat frame and bears a seat cushion, and an inclination adjuster by means of which one part of the seat frame and/or of the seat shell can be moved in order to adjust the inclination of the seat cushion.
In the case of a vehicle seat of type described above, a bolt is fitted to each side of the seat frame, in each case approximately below the hip point. The seat shell is mounted on these bolts by means of a rotary sliding joint which, during the adjustment of the inclination of the seat cushion, ensures rotation of the seat shell and displacement, as a means of adjusting it in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat.
One aspect of the present invention is the provision of improvements to vehicle seats of the type mentioned above.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, includes an inclination adjuster that adjusts a seat cushion between inclinations by moving a movable part of a seat frame relative to a fixed part of the seat frame. The seat cushion is carried by a seat shell having an end connected to the movable part of the seat frame. As a result, the seat shell and the seat cushion move relative to the fixed part of the seat frame during the moving of the movable part of the seat frame. The other end of the seat shell is mounted to the fixed part of the seat frame, so that this other end of the seat shell moves relative to the fixed part of the seat frame via a guide, during the moving of the seat shell.
The production of the vehicle seat according to the invention is simplified and made less expensive by virtue of the fact that the seat shell is fitted at one end to the movable part of the seat frame and at the other end is mounted on a fixed part of the seat frame in a manner such that it can be moved by means of a guide. The fitting to the movable part of the seat frame replaces the rotary function of the rotary sliding joint, while the guide ensures longitudinal adjustment during the adjustment of the inclination. This design saves on the bolts and the rotary sliding joints.
An open design of the guide enables simpler installation, in which the seat shell is pushed or hooked on, for example to a rear transverse tube which is already present. By means of its shape, a cutout in the material of the guide can influence a prestressing force.
The guide is preferably shaped in such a manner that the hip point of a user of the vehicle seat remains virtually unchanged or is displaced only to a very slight extent during an adjustment of the inclination of the seat cushion. This reduces the actuating torque, relieves the inclination adjuster and its drive of load when the adjustment is undertaken by a motor, and increases the operating convenience when adjustment takes place manually. To this end, the guide may be slightly curved, for example, in which case the central point of the curvature can lie in the direction of or in the vicinity of the hip point. The hip point then forms, at least approximately, a type of pivot point for the movement of the seat shell.
The inclination adjuster can be arranged in such a manner that it only pivots the movable part of the seat frame downwards from a horizontal position. This range of adjustment likewise ensures that the hip point scarcely changes in its position during the adjustment of the inclination.